Council approves $45M parking garage for downtown Fresno. Will it spur housing, growth?

Fresno is betting that a $45 million investment will improve downtown and help jump-start a new era of new housing and growth.

The Fresno City Council voted 6-0 at their meeting Thursday on the next phase of building a seven-level, 904-space parking garage.

The massive structure is scheduled to be built at H and Inyo streets on the existing surface-level] parking lot across the street from Chukchansi Park. It also includes planned street improvements.

The parking project is considered a key part of the larger city effort under Mayor Jerry Dyer to spur growth and development downtown. The money comes from the $250 million in state grants to the city meant for downtown projects and infrastructure improvements.

“This is about more than a parking structure, it will enable housing, support retail and restaurants, manage event demand and prepare for the future,” Dyer told The Fresno Bee.

Dyer also envisions housing adjacent to the parking structure, but nothing is in the works yet. The city already owns the land on the H Street side. A warehouse that once occupied that area has since been demolished.

The city is currently building another parking structure downtown at Broadway and Merced.

“The bottom line is it’s going to unlock the ability for surrounding land to host hundreds of housing units, which provide much needed occupancy and activity,” said Elliott Balch, president/CEO of the Downtown Fresno Partnership.

The city recently approved an $11.7 million loan for The Park at South Stadium, by developer Mehmet Noyan and Jeff Isenstadt — three blocks away from the proposed parking structure. The $81 million housing development includes 174 units, at market and affordable rates. The project would also include retail on the lower floor.

Annalisa Perea, Mike Karbassi, Miguel Arias, Tyler Maxwell, Brandon Vang and Nelson Esparza voted in favor as part of the consent agenda. Nick Richardson had an excused absence, celebrating the recent birth of his son.

About the proposed lot

The city already contracted with Irvine-based Bomel Construction Company for $2 million on the design phase. It will now construct the garage.

Bomel also built the parking garage at Fresno City College.

Plan designs include a giant lighted “Welcome to Fresno, California” sign on the side of the structure. The measurements — 80 feet wide by 42 feet tall.

The city once owned the land of the proposed project. It sold the entire parking lot on H Street to the Fresno Grizzlies in 2018 for $1.9 million. When the team changed ownership in 2023, the previous owners, Fresno Sports and Events Partners LLC, kept the lot. It leased a portion back to the Grizzlies.

The city purchased the other portion last November for $3.8 million.

The contract requires “substantial completion” by Sept. 7, 2027. The penalty would be $1,500 per day.

The Fresno Grizzlies look forward to the project, saying it “will benefit the entire downtown area as more and more people visit the city center.”

“We are extremely excited about the incoming garage that will be right on Chukchansi Park’s doorstep,” General Manager Andrew Milios said. “The construction of multiple parking projects across downtown, paired with the incoming housing developments around the ballpark, is helping set the stage for downtown’s continued long-term success.”